The Treaty of La Pointe may refer to either of two

treaties A treaty is a formal, legally binding written agreement between sovereign states and/or international organizations that is governed by international law. A treaty may also be known as an international agreement, protocol, covenant, convention ...

made and signed in La Pointe, Wisconsin between the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

and the

Ojibwe The Ojibwe (; Ojibwe writing systems#Ojibwe syllabics, syll.: ᐅᒋᐺ; plural: ''Ojibweg'' ᐅᒋᐺᒃ) are an Anishinaabe people whose homeland (''Ojibwewaki'' ᐅᒋᐺᐘᑭ) covers much of the Great Lakes region and the Great Plains, n ...

(Chippewa) Native American peoples. In addition, the Isle Royale Agreement, an adhesion to the first Treaty of La Pointe, was made at La Pointe.

1842 Treaty of La Pointe

The first treaty of La Pointe was signed by Robert Stuart for the

and representatives of the

Bands of Lake Superior and the Mississippi River on October 4, 1842 and proclaimed on March 23, 1843, encoded into the laws of the United States as . By this treaty, the Ojibwa ceded extensive tracts of land that are now parts of the states of Wisconsin and Michigan, specifically the latter's

Upper Peninsula The Upper Peninsula of Michigan—also known as Upper Michigan or colloquially the U.P. or Yoop—is the northern and more elevated of the two major landmasses that make up the U.S. state of Michigan; it is separated from the Lower Peninsula b ...

. The Webster-Ashburton Treaty was signed on August 9, 1842, between Great Britain and the United States, officially ending their boundary dispute on what now is the Arrowhead Region of Minnesota, as well as settling other claims. This news did not reach the United States parties to the La Pointe Treaty negotiation. Consequently, the Grand Portage Band, then considered to be in Canadian British territory, was not invited to join the signing of this treaty. It is now considered to occupy territory in the United States. In 1844, the United States and Grand Portage Band signed the Isle Royale Agreement as an adhesion to this treaty. As determined subsequently by the

United States Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that turn on question ...

, the signatory tribes retain hunting, fishing and gathering rights on their former lands in this region. In addition, the Supreme Court held that the treaty obligated the United States to provide reservations for peoples of the signatory bands. For instance, it acquired land in the 1930s for the Bay Mills Indian Community, whose people had historically long been located on Lake Superior in Michigan.

Signatories

The Ojibwe treaty signatories were: :^‡Name given in Dakota.

Treaty area boundary adjustments

In Michigan, no boundary adjustments have been made. In Wisconsin, for regulatory purposes, the southeastern boundaries of the 1842 treaty-area have been adjusted to follow distinct landmarks such as roads and streams. Furthermore, in Wisconsin, with consent of the property-owner and with tribally issued license, all treaty rights of hunting, fishing and gathering may be exercised by the members of the signatory bands. In Minnesota, no boundary adjustments have been made. The

Minnesota Department of Natural Resources The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, or Minnesota DNR, is the agency of the U.S. state of Minnesota charged with conserving and managing the state's natural resources. The agency maintains areas such as state parks, state forests, rec ...

have been mainly concerned over hunting regulations as related to this treaty. Minnesota does not acknowledge the 1842 land cession area as giving the tribes privilege over Minnesota's own claim over Lake Superior. Minnesota Department of Natural Resources approved an extension of the 1854 Treaty of La Pointe tribal fishing rights for the Grand Portage Band over a portion of the state's Lake Superior claims.

1844 Isle Royale Agreement

The Isle Royale Agreement is an adhesion to the 1842 Treaty of La Pointe, conducted at La Pointe, Wisconsin Territory on August 20, 1844. Commissioner Robert Stuart again represented the

. The Grand Portage Band was using the resources on Isle Royale and believed it and they were in British territory. After boundary clarification was settled via the Webster Ashburton Treaty of 1842, the Grand Portage Band signed the Isle Royale Agreement with the United States as a treaty adhesion. The 1842 treaty signatories re-affirmed their treaty.

Signatories

^‡ Name given in Dakota *Wm. McDonald *Jno. Hulbert *Clement H Beaulieu *Chas. H. Oakes *J Russell *Jas. P. Hays, United States Indian Sub-Agent * Wm. W. Warren, Interpreter

1854 Treaty of La Pointe

The second treaty of La Pointe was signed by Henry C. Gilbert and David B. Herriman for the

and representatives of the

of Lake Superior and the

Mississippi Mississippi ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Louisiana to the s ...

on September 30, 1854, proclaimed on January 29, 1855, and codified as . The treaty ceded all of the Lake Superior Ojibwe lands to the United States in the Arrowhead Region of Northeastern Minnesota, in exchange for reservations for the Lake Superior Ojibwe in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Minnesota. The signatory tribes retain hunting, fishing and gathering right within this region. The portions left unceded were given claims to the Mississippi Ojibwe. The Indian reservations established under this treaty are: * L'Anse with

Lac Vieux Desert Lac Vieux Desert is a lake in the United States divided between Gogebic County, Michigan, and Vilas County, Wisconsin. Fed primarily by springs in the surrounding swamps, it is the source of the Wisconsin River, which flows out of its southwest co ...

* Bad River * Lac du Flambeau and Lac Courte Oreilles * Fond du Lac *

Grand Portage Grand Portage National Monument is a United States National Monument located on the north shore of Lake Superior in northeastern Minnesota that preserves a vital center of fur trade activity and Anishinaabeg Ojibwe heritage. The area became on ...

* Ontonagon and Red Cliff along with general land grants to the Metis. Mole Lake and St. Croix Bands lost their federal recognition due to not being included in this treaty. Mole Lake Band and St. Croix Band's eastern half in Wisconsin re-gained their federal recognition under the

Indian Reorganization Act The Indian Reorganization Act (IRA) of June 18, 1934, or the Wheeler–Howard Act, was U.S. federal legislation that dealt with the status of American Indians in the United States. It was the centerpiece of what has been often called the "Indian ...

of 1934, but the St. Croix Band's western half in Minnesota are not independently recognized and are considered part of the

Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe Mille can refer to: People * Constantin Mille, Romanian journalist and politician * Mathieu Mille, French ice hockey player Places * Mille Lacs County, Minnesota * Mille Lacs Lake in Minnesota. * Mille River, a tributary of the Awash River ...

Signatories

The Ojibwe treaty signatories were:

Notes

External links

Text of 1842 treatySummary of the 1844 agreementChief Buffalo and Benjamin Armstrong historical website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Treaty Of La Pointe La Pointe Ojibwe in the United States Anishinaabe treaty areas Lake Superior Native American history of Michigan Native American history of Minnesota Native American history of Wisconsin Military history of Michigan Pre-statehood history of Minnesota Pre-statehood history of Wisconsin Legal history of Michigan 1854 treaties 1844 treaties 1842 treaties 1850s in the United States